# Exactly How Does One Smoke a MM MacArthur Pipe?



## CWL (Mar 25, 2010)

Folks,
On a whim, I ordered a MM MacArthur corncob pipe. Now that I have it, it looks fun and all, but I can't figure-out how one is expected to smoke the dang thing.

The bowl is 3 1/2" deep (at least) and I have no idea how does one pack and light tobacco in this deep of a bowl. I don't really want to pack the entire bowl as I will never finish it and will just be wasting baccy, but I don't think I can get it lit unless I fill 'er up the whole way...

Any advice?


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## commonsenseman (Apr 18, 2008)

Whatever you do, don't do what I did.










It smoked alright until the above incident though. Try smoking some Carter Hall or Prince Albert through it, they burn pretty fast.


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## Uelrindru (Mar 16, 2010)

see what happens when you flavor it with gasoline?


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## drastic_quench (Sep 12, 2008)

Well, you never have to tamp a bowl down more than half when packing, so no problem there - especially if you use a Czech tool which can fold out to twice its length. Matches will light it much more deeper down the bowl than lighters, and if it's really that deep, there's always fireplace matches. I imagine two or three ash dumps would be in order too.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

You put on your sunglasses, stand tall, and act like you're the baddest SOB on the planet. And tell Truman to *&$# off.


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## Commander Quan (May 6, 2003)

MarkC said:


> You put on your sunglasses, stand tall, and act like you're the baddest SOB on the planet. And tell Truman to *&$# off.


HAHAHAHA!


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## Stench (Aug 17, 2009)

MarkC said:


> You put on your sunglasses, stand tall, and act like you're the baddest SOB on the planet. And tell Truman to *&$# off.


That is undoubtably the funniest thing I've heard all day!:rockon:


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## Airegin (Nov 7, 2010)

I own several Missouri Meerschaum corn cob pipes and am waiting for two bent MacArthurs to come in the mail. I obviously have not smoked this one yet but I would gravity feed some tobacco into the bowl and then use the Frank Method to fill the pipe completely. Use a Zippo pipe lighter to light it.

If I were you, I would not smoke this pipe unless you have time on your hands. An MM Country Gentleman takes me 40-minutes to smoke, so this one will take well over an hour to smoke. Make sure you use a blend that does not burn too hot and does not need relights; try a mild English blend like Sutliff Private Stock No. 5 or Affordable Pipes Fox and Hound. These blends do have latakia in them but they have a sweet, spicy charateristic and a wonderful aroma.

I hope this helps, let us know how it works out.


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## laloin (Jun 29, 2010)

try smoking some Irish flake, or some 1792 and tell us how you feel after that long of a smoke hahahha.
best to do is do what Jeff said some some Carter Hall or some other straight Burley, they build up a fast cake
troy


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## Granger (Jul 24, 2010)

CWL said:


> Any advice?


I own one straight and one bent. I gravity fill it, then push it down, and repeat until it "feels right." After a fill I inhale to make sure it draws.

I use a Czech Tool and light it with a light. I smoke PA or Sugar Barrel (SHOCK!) in it because they don't burn too hot, and burn well on their own. If you manage your pipe and puff gentle, you can keep it going.

When you feel it burning out, dump the ash, puff and tamp, and it should keep going.

Honestly I think smoking one of these is a novelty more than anything else. When I am up for a cob, I smoke a General, which is half as tall...and it STILL lasts a LOOOOOOOONG time!


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## Airegin (Nov 7, 2010)

laloin said:


> try smoking some Irish flake, or some 1792 and tell us how you feel after that long of a smoke hahahha.
> best to do is do what Jeff said some some Carter Hall or some other straight Burley, they build up a fast cake
> troy


Cakes are not needed with corn cob pipes:hand:. Refer to aristocob.com you will find all the information you need for corn cob pipes; including the fact that building a cake in a corn cob is not needed:nod:.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Airegin said:


> Cakes are not needed with corn cob pipes:hand:.


Completely off topic, but are you a jazz fan by any chance?


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## Airegin (Nov 7, 2010)

MarkC said:


> Completely off topic, but are you a jazz fan by any chance?


Yes, I play soprano, tenor and bass saxophones, soprano and bass clarinet and bass trombone.


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## MarkC (Jul 4, 2009)

Cool! The handle was...familiar.


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## shuckins (Jun 24, 2009)

MarkC said:


> You put on your sunglasses


this was the first thought that popped in my head...lol


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## indigosmoke (Sep 1, 2009)

MarkC said:


> You put on your sunglasses, stand tall, and act like you're the baddest SOB on the planet. And tell Truman to *&$# off.


It also helps if you behave like a meglomanic, choose only yes men for your subordinates, vastly underestimate Chinese strength and willingness to become involved in Korea and be quite willing to plunge the world into WWIII. But that's all right. Matthew Ridgway will be there to clean up your messes. LOL . Sorry, to the Mac fans out there, but I couldn't resist.


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## Gigmaster (Jan 12, 2009)

Bravo!!:clap2:

I bought a Big Mac several years ago, from Carey's. It was too heavy to hold in my mouth all the time, and I could never keep it lit. I eventually gave it away.

I have looked at many pictures of Dugout Doug, and the pipe he smoked was nowhere near as massive as the modern cob created in his honor.

I would be curious to find out exactly what pipe he did smoke, though. It might have been a custom-made job.



MarkC said:


> You put on your sunglasses, stand tall, and act like you're the baddest SOB on the planet. And tell Truman to *&$# off.


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## Benedikt (Apr 3, 2013)

I bought some corn cob pipes in order to build up my pipe collection, because they looked so cool on the MM website, they're so cheap, and they just feel "American" (in a good, patriotic sort of way) when smokin 'em. One of the pipes I just had to have was the MacArthur. After reading this thread yesterday I took it out for it's maiden voyage this afternoon.

Based on Airegin's post #8 I gravity feed the tobacco into it and sort of did a light tamp/Frank method on the top. It was packed real light. Probably lighter then I've ever packed a pipe but I've smoked my pipes probably less then 50 times, total, so I could be over packing in general. Then I lit up and sat down on the deck for about 40 minutes lightly tamping with little more then the weight of the tamp. One thing these cobs have taught me it's to smoke them s l o w. The first one, a little Pony Express, got toasted up on the inside. Partly I blame on smoking to fast and partly the type of tobacco I used. At this point it was burned down about an inch and I dumped the ash. It promptly went out. I did a light tamp, re-lit, then let it go and put it aside for about 30 minutes. I came back re-lit and smoked it for about another 40 minutes to the end. This second half of the game required a few relights (some because I was just not paying attention) and I did another ash dump when it was about 2/3rd's of the way down. I was pleasantly surprised that relighting was no problem with my lighter. Even when I was near the very bottom I was easily able to draw the flame down for a relight. I was also surprised to find out that there was very little unburned tobacco at the bottom, even below the shank. I don't know how this is possible unless there's enough ash packed on top that the airflow is drawn down below somehow. That, or maybe the tobacco was never packed down that far to begin with is all I can think of.

That's my first experience with it. May be totally different next time. It is a long smoke and not a pipe I will use often. At least not filled to the top. Anyone else?


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## Benedikt (Apr 3, 2013)

Today I smoked it for the second time. Basically the same as before although this time the tobacco below the draft hole did not burn.


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## Blue Raccoon (Mar 13, 2011)

mix up some pipe mud and built the bottom up to the draft hole.. add a little at a time and let it dry good until you get it up to where you want it.


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## El wedo del milagro (Jul 3, 2012)

Tobacco below the draft hole will never burn...


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